The present invention relates to a zoom lens assembly. Various embodiments of the zoom lens assembly redirect image light entering from an object to perform zoom and focusing operations along a bent optical path, and more particularly, to a zoom lens assembly, which can stably endure external impacts, provide more precise zoom operation, stably operate for a long time without a malfunction of a zoom motor, which acts as a drive source, and improve space utilization inside a basic skeletal structure of a frame.
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a zoom lens barrel assembly, which is mounted to a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA)) having a camera function, or to a digital camera, and an imaging apparatus having the zoom lens barrel assembly.
A digital imaging apparatus, such as a digital camera or a mobile phone camera, generally includes an optical system having a lens unit, an image pickup device disposed on one side of the lens unit, an image processor processing an electric signal, received from the image pickup device, and a memory storing a photographed image. The digital imaging apparatus operates as follows.
When a user takes a picture of an object, image light from the object enters an image pickup device, such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), through the lens unit, the image pickup device converts the incident image light into an image signal, the image processor processes the image signal, and the memory stores the image.
For user convenience, the digital imaging apparatus may include a zoom lens optical system for zooming in on an object that is located farther away than a typical position.
The zoom lens optical system performs a zoom operation, by having a mechanical construction that varies the distance between zoom lenses of the zoom lens optical system.
A conventional zoom lens optical system has a solid cam, formed on a cylindrical barrel, as a mechanical construction for changing the distance between zoom lens groups. However, it is difficult to machine the solid cam. In the zoom operation, the zoom lens groups move along the solid cam inside the barrel, thereby limiting the position of surrounding motors, such as a zoom motor and a focusing motor. There are problems in that efficient space utilization is difficult, and the overall size of the zoom lens barrel increases.